A Game
by PaintedOwl
Summary: The results of boredom lead two tamers to play a game with each other. The consequences; however, are varied. Read and find out. R&R, please
1. The Game Begins

A/N: Let me set this straight before you get your hopes up. Yes, I've graduated high school, but that doesn't mean I'm a good writer. My personal opinion, I suck, but this idea was floating in my head one night when I couldn't sleep. I just had to jot it down, so I took up a pen and I began scribbling away in a notebook I had nearby. The next day, I wrote more and more. The day after, I typed it. Eventually, this should get on . If it doesn't, oh well. Anyways, this will probably be a one-shot, two chapters max. I don't have the attention span for anything else.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. Plot should be mine...I haven't read anything else like it so I'm hoping no one will sue me for it...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Let's play a game," a red haired, teenage girl declared.

"What sort of game?" a blue haired, teenage boy answered out of curiosity.

The two were sitting on a bench in Shinjuku Park. The tamer meeting had ended hours ago, but neither wanted to go home, nor had any reason to be home which led them to their current predicament.

"A game of nerves--or chicken, if you prefer. We'll see who backs down first," the Ice Queen, Rika Nonaka declared without looking at her fellow tamer. Her eyes were focused before her. Rather than looking at the fellow bored teen beside her, she felt his reaction to her suggestion--bewilderment, curiosity, and amusement. "You game?"

"Sure." Before Henry could say more or make the first move, Rika pivoted so she was straddling the computer geek. She slowed her movements, leaning down just far enough so her mouth was against one of his ears. All her weight was distributed to her two hands, placed on either side of his shoulders on the bench's back, and on her knees. "What's wrong, chicken?" she whispered seductively into his ear.

Henry forced himself not to flinch or shiver. 'If she's this playful, I'm in deep waters,' he thought to himself. The boy placed his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him. When she was close enough to his liking, he began kissing a trail from the middle of her collarbone to just underneath her right earlobe.

Some small sounds emitted from the back of Rika's throat. It was an automatic response he was not prepared for, but Henry paid extra attention to those places that caused the teenage girl to moan.

'I'm going to have hickies in the morning,' Rika thought. 'Mom's not going to let me live this down."

"Chicken? Consequences getting to you yet?" Henry asked Rika, who was still straddling him in a public place.

"You wish," she responded in an airy, seductive whisper. Rika began by nibbling on his earlobe. When that failed to erect a response, she left a trail of kisses from his ear, down his jaw line, and almost to his lips. She was taking her time playing with him, and Henry could tell.

Growing weary of their "game," Henry decided to take over. With a little tug of her hips, the two were kissing. 'He's so naive,' the girl thought as she ran her tongue along his bottom lip asking for entrance. Although he hesitated, he let her in.

In the middle of their deep kiss, the computer geek could feel the Digimon Queen smirk into his lips. He was warned of the danger before it occurred, but it did not prepare him for her stunt.

Rika grabbed his crotch. Henry jumped back in surprise, leaving her laughing above him.

"That was just mean," he said disgruntled, but she only shrugged in response.

"You still lose though." An uncharacteristic smile crossed her lips, and with that, Rika Nonaka headed home.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Rika walked into the dining room with her hair already up in its customary spiked pony tail and her school uniform on. She had forgotten one itty-bitty tiny fact...

"Rika!" Her mother cried out in surprise. "Are those hickies I see on my baby girl?" Tears swelled up in her eyes.

'Shit, I forgot about those. Too late to hide them now.'

"My baby's all grown up." A few tears fell down the overly emotional model's face. 'Oh boy,' Rika thought. "Well, who is he? Do I know him? Are you dating?" Rumiko asked excitedly.

"Henry Wong. Yes. No."

All hints of tears vanished. "What?!? He gives you hickies, and you two aren't dating? He's such a nice boy, too. He would make a nice boyfriend. Very polite, to boot. Though, I am a little disappointed those love marks aren't from the famous Ryo Akiyama." Rumiko said wiggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Mom," Rika whined out of embarrassment. "That's just wrong on so many levels. Henry and I were just playing a game. And pu~lease, never in a million years would I let Ryo--Mr. Conceited Hot Shot--kiss me, much less leave a mark."

Rumiko squealed. 'Did I say something wrong,' Rika pondered, immensely puzzled.

~*~*~*~*~

At the tamers' Saturday meeting, everyone was already there except for Rika. Her school was the last to get out. Schools in Japan held classes six days a week. Monday through Friday were full days; Saturday a half day.

"Sorry, I'm late," the last tamer called out on her way up the stone steps that led to Guilmon's Hideout. Instead of her broken heart t-shirt, she was wearing a blood red, sleeveless turtleneck with simple blue-black jeans to substitute her stylish blue jeans and buckles.

"Hey, Wildcat, why the sudden change? Finally decided you need to dress differently to get my attention? You didn't have to, I'm all yours, Babe," Ryo said smugly, strutting his way towards her.

Rika grimaced in response, shoving him away from her. "No, laundry day." The lie was obvious to her and Henry, but none of the other caught on.

The meeting went on as it normally did. Takato trying to act as a leader, Kazu and Kenta ignoring him in favor of playing a round of Digimon Card Game while fighting for Ryo's attention, and Jeri would try to encourage Takato, but his pride was already be damaged. Ryo would help the two buffoons in alternating turns but would constantly be glancing over his shoulder at Rika. Henry would look after Suzie when she tagged along (she didn't go to all the meetings, and she decided to skip out on this one) or talk to who ever was not preoccupied--usually Rika, Takato, or Jeri. The Ice Queen would stay off to the side, watching the show or talking to anyone but Ryo--usually Henry or Jeri.

Ryo was the first to get up to leave since he needed to catch a train to get back home. When he walked pass Rika, he noticed something strange, 'A dark mark under her earlobe?' Curiosity got the best of him; he pulled down her collar revealing a trail of hickies from her right earlobe to the bottom center of her neck--the seam of her shirt prevented anyone from seeing just how far the trail went. "What the-?"

"Oh my gawd!" Jeri exclaimed.

"Holy cows!" Takato whispered, completely unaware of what he was actually saying.

"Rika's getting action before me?" Kazu cried out incredulously.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Kenta said in response to Kazu's comment.  
"Oh dear," Henry muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"May I ask who got to you before me?" Ryo asked in a sad, somewhat betrayed voice.

"Henry," She answered without even thinking. She had been asked the question all day; the girls at school tried to figure out what "Henry" was to the cold hearted Ice Queen, but to no avail. It didn't bother her who knew anymore--after her mother's morning hysteria.

Henry slapped his forehead. "She just had to say it," he muttered. The other tamers were looking at him now, silently asking for an explanation.

"It was a game we were playing yesterday-"

"Fuck each other till one drops?" Kazu asked in a half serious, half joking question.

Rika grimaced, Takato slapped his friend on the back of his head, and Henry continued, "Chicken. See who backs down first. Whoever makes the other uncomfortable first wins."

"Who won?" Jeri asked, curiosity had gotten the best of her, as it often did. Rika only snickered.

"Dude, you lost to a girl!" Kazu exclaimed.

Henry glared at him, "And how many times have you lost to not only Rika, but Jeri too at Digimon, test scores and even sports?" "Visor-head," as Rika preferred to call him, turned crimson as the others laughed at him.

"Rika, how is it you won?" Jeri asked the girl sitting beside her. The red head leaned over to whisper her previous actions into the naive girl's ears. The puppet loving brunette blushed.

Although the boys were curious, especially Ryo, they didn't ask. Henry wanted to make sure she didn't say something worse than what she had actually done. Though, what she had done still mortified him.

~*~*~*~*~

When Henry went home, he locked himself in his room to bash his head in private. He picked up his pillow and slapped it against his face several times. Relieved of his anxiety, he fell onto his bed. His eyes were focused on the ceiling as his thoughts wondered.

'I am naive--so very, very naive. Why was I even playing that game in the first place?'

'Momentai, Henry, you were bored,' A voice remarkably similar to Terriermon's responded.

He sighed, 'I never should have played whether or not I was bored. Ryo looked like he wanted to kill me.'

Ryo had glared at Henry as he left. If he stayed too long, he would miss his train; therefore, he left the tamers unsatisfied.

Rika had a smirk on her face, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, but Ryo didn't notice, he was too busy glaring at the Chinese-Japanese boy.

~*~*~*~*~

Since it was a Saturday night, Jeri and Rika were having a sleepover at Jeri's house. It had become a tradition between the two since the digimon had left. Every other Saturday, they had a sleepover, always switching between their two houses. The two were opposites, but they had learned to set aside their differences and get along remarkably well.

At the moment, Rika was describing the events of her game with Henry. Jeri listened without interrupting, but not without amazement.

"Would you have done the same if it were Kazu, Kenta, Takato, or Ryo?" the brunette asked.

The red head grimaced, "You don't have to worry, Jeri, Takato is all yours, and EVERYONE knows it. The way you two ogle each other is disgusting." Jeri blushed. "Kazu and Kenta don't have the mental capacity to play such a mind stimulating game, with me especially. I would tear them to shreds before they saw anything coming, not to mention, they would probably piss their pants the minute I acted 'playful' around them. Or, you know, I could flash them and watch them faint." Rika answered in a monotone voice, even though her words were playful. She thought her response were obvious, and based on Jeri's look of comprehension, it was.

"And Ryo?"

"Would probably try to get into my pants before the game even started. He's years older, but his hormones haven't died down at all!"

Jeri laughed at Rika's frustrated expression. "So Henry's the only one you would touch? I do believe you have feelings for one rabbit-dog partner."

"Of course," Rika answered quickly and confidently. "Suzie is so adorable, how can anyone refuse her?"

"Rika!" Obviously, Suzie was not the tamer Jeri was thinking of. She burst out laughing once more. "You're always like this when I try to talk about boys. It's just the two of us, what are you so embarrassed about?"

The red haired girl looked away from her friend, probably the closest to a best friend after Renamon, of course. "I don't want to get hurt." She answered solemnly.

Jeri sobered, all hints of earlier laughter vanished. "Rika, what happened?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Stopping for now. Hopefully will post another chapter within the coming week, but I'm fickle, and I know it so don't expect anything. I wonder if people still read Henry x Rika fics. I know it do but it's out of boredom...it's been seven years, surely only the hardcore fans will read this...


	2. Consequences

A/N: Wow, I'm flattered five people reviewed on the first chapter. I thought the pairing and its readers were dead. I'd like to take the time to thank violet eyes rika, Some1 U Dunno, Rainbow35, BornFromDarkness, and Tails-Coyote-Carnivore for reviewing, and anyone who makes it this far for reading. . I'd also like to apologize for the spelling and grammar mistakes. I'll be editing to the best of my ability after this, but until then, please bare with it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. Plot should be mine...I haven't read anything else like it so I'm hoping no one will sue me for it...

The red haired girl looked away from her friend, probably the closest to a best friend after Renamon, of course. "I don't want to get hurt." She answered solemnly.

Jeri sobered, all hints of earlier laughter vanished. "Rika, what happened?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm sure you've noticed my family only consist of my grandma, my mom, and me," Rika began from her spot lying next to her best female friend's bed. Jeri nodded. The brunette was looking over the edge of her bed; her head was propped up by her forearms. "And surely, you remember how hard it used to be for me to get along with my mother." She nodded again. 'Does this have to do with Rika's father,' Jeri desperately wanted to know. "Well, at first, my parents were only planning to divorce. Mom was always working; she didn't want to be the only one providing for the family. My father was an at-home-dad. He did have a part-time job, but for the most part, he took care of me.

"When I was still little, we would go to the park in the afternoon. I'm not sure when this started, but that's how my life was after classes. I always wanted to stay for the sunset, but when I was four or five years old, Mom got mad that she was coming home to an empty house.

"One night, they had a fight. The next day, Dad asked me to sing to him at the park, even though he knew how much I hated singing--I still do. Even in kindergarten class, I'd only mouth the words instead of singing along with the other kids. We made a compromise, I would sing him a song, and we could stay for the sunset that day.

"That night, when my parents thought I was asleep, they were fighting again, but over divorce papers this time.

"When the divorce was settled, I was under the custody of my mom, who was the equivalent to a stranger to me. I was only allowed to see my dad on Sundays. The court said it was because Mom could provide for me while Dad could not.

"Almost a month later, the landlord kicked us out. He said he couldn't continue waiting for the apartment's rent. Mom had cut back on her hours to spend time with me, her disgruntled daughter. Our rent was way overdue, we barely knew anyone who could help us. That's when we moved in with Grandma, who was happy to have her daughter and granddaughter to care for. Mom went back to full time work. Grandma watched over me after classes, and I had no idea what had become of my father--we had lost contact after the third visit. He used to call everyday at three pm, but one day it stopped.

"The day before the fourth visit, we received a call. My dad had died, but no one would tell me how." Rika's solemn voice explained. Jeri's eyes held unshed tears; the girl was overly emotional in Rika's opinion.

"Grandma, Mom and I attended the funeral, but the minute it finished, Mom pulled us away saying she had work, and Grandma had bingo night."

The tears rolled down freely now. "Oh, Rika!" Jeri cried, launching herself forward to hug her friend. "I thought my mom's death was bad, but you don't even know the cause of your father's death!"

Rika patted the brunette's shoulder awkwardly. "There, there, Jeri. It happened roughly ten years ago. I'm over it," she said with false cheer. The two girls separated, sitting quietly on Rika's sleeping bag with their backs against Jeri's bed.

"What makes you think boys will hurt you?" Jeri asked meekly. She knew the answer. She was afraid too, but she had to know if Rika's reason was the same as hers.

"What was never found can never be lost," the Ice Queen responded. Jeri nodded in understanding, "That's what I used to think too."

"Used to?"

Jeri turned to look at her friend and smiled, "I have Takato, you and the other tamers too. I think I love Takato, but unless I admit it, I will never know what will become of us. I'm just waiting for him-"

"The sooner the better; you two always ogle each other at meetings like the other is a piece of meat."

A blush crossed the poor girl's face. "Patience is a virtue."

"If you wait too long, he may move on. Or one of you could die," the response was monotone, but the brunette knew her friend was only looking out for her. The two had a level of understanding. While Jeri was often helplessly optimistic, Rika was enough of a pessimist to level the playing field.

"Maybe I'll ask him out on a date, then," Jeri declared with renewed vigor. Her friend smiled. "But besides Takato, I'm glad I met you and the other tamers too. You guys are the best friends I could possibly ask for. I even met Leomon and Calumon."

The Digimon Queen smiled weakly.

~*~*~*~

Morning came after several hours of necessary sleep. Rika recalled an occurrence at her house that would require Jeri's feminine input in order for her to understand it herself. "Hey, Jeri, do you know why my Mom squealed?" She explained the situation, but the brunette only smiled.

"Considering the things you've told me, both the things your mom does and does not know, your mom believes you are infatuated with Henry. She probably believes you two will be dating soon."

Rika laughed, but the puppet lover continued, "Ryo probably thinks similarly."

~*~*~*~

"Henwy, Henwy!" Suzie cried out as she ran through the apartment's hallway on her way to her brother's room.

As usual, her brother was tapping away on his computer. The young girl ran into the room and jumped onto the bed, waiting for her brother's attention.

The teenage boy did not acknowledge Suzie until he was done with the step in his programming. His current project was finding a way to communicate to the tamers' digimon through his Digimon computer game, how he was introduced to Terriermon. "What is it, Suzie?"

The mauve haired Asian girl perked up upon address. "Bweakfast is weady," was the cheerful reply before she left the room. Sighing, the teenage boy left his beloved computer. He could always continue the program later.

At the kitchen table, the family ate quietly except for Jaarin, the oldest daughter, who was describing her new boyfriend to her parents. When she finished talking, Janyuu looked at his youngest son. "Suzie and I saw you in the park the other day, when you were with Rika."

The young boy's blush prompted his older siblings to inquire for details. Janyuu thankfully ignored them. He was studying Henry to see how far his boy would be willing to go with this. Finding his answers, he continued. "I am disappointed you two were acting like that in a public place when kids were still out playing. You two are responsible enough though, just treat her right. I would hate having to talk to Rumiko because her daughter got pregnant by my son-"

"Dad! You have it all wrong," Henry interrupted. "Rika and I aren't dating or doing anything like you're implying. It was just a game--one simple, harmless game-- we'll probably never play again."

Janyuu smiled. "Good, though she is a fairly nice girl. Very pretty; I wouldn't mind her as a daughter-in-law as long as she wasn't knocked up before the wedding." He winked at his son and disappeared into his office. Flustered, Henry also excused himself to escape his family's constant questions.

He locked himself in his room, but he could still hear the voices in the kitchen. Jaarin had turned to Suzie for answers. Feeling obligated, Suzie was describing whatever it was she had observed of the two tamer's game. A squeal notified him Jaarin liked the story. One choked laugh told him Reichin thought his younger brother was hopelessly naive. His mother probably smiled and shook her head while Suzie remained oblivious.

No matter how hard he tried or how long he waited, Henry could not get rid of two problems. One just happened to be his blush.

~*~*~*~

'Sunday, Sunday, Sunday,' Jeri sang in her head as she skipped along the sidewalk. 'Bright and beautiful Sunday!' The cheery brunette was on her way to the bakery. She was finally going to ask her crush out on a date.

~*~*~*~

Rika was walking around town without really watching where she was going. Her thoughts wandered more than her feet did. Before she knew it, she was back at Guilmon's hideout. She was not alone. A lone figure sat within the hideout. For the most part, only the person's legs and one arm could be seen. 'Tan, somewhat muscular,' the teen girl observed, 'possibly--nay, probably--male.'

The Ice Queen did not hesitate. She was not about to turn around just because someone was there. Rika entered the hideout.

"Rika?" The voice was unmistakably familiar; it was Henry. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I was walking. Truthfully, I have no idea how I ended up here." By the look on his face, she could tell he understood. 'Is that sympathy? Probably.' "How about you?"

"Escaping family," he replied with a sarcastic smile. "After breakfast this morning, my entire family has been debating if I will knock you up or marry you before encumbering you." His voice told of his amusement and annoyance at the idea and hassle that came with it.

His companion grimaced. "Does this have to do with our game?" He nodded.

"If it makes you feel any better, my mom thinks you'll make a wonderful boyfriend. After she hears your family's thoughts, she'll probably start planning the wedding." Her slight jerking manner was not overlooked.

"You're enjoying this too much," Henry stated accusingly at the laughing girl standing before him, but all he received was a shrug and "It's better than my mom insinuating she thinks Ryo is a piece of juicy meat."

Henry choked laughing. "Yeah, meat a decade younger than her."

The red head smiled. "I like your reaction better than Jeri's. She admitted she thinks Ryo is hot, but added she absolutely adores Takato. I don't think she'll ever get over Takato if for some reason the two don't work things out."

The computer geek nodded. "Takato loves Jeri, but he can't build up the courage to ask her out." Rika waved it off, "Don't worry about it; Jeri went to his place to ask him out this morning."

A rumbling noise was heard between the two. Rika checked the time; it was six thirty seven pm. Henry clutched his stomach, the culprit of the earlier noise. "Would you like to grab a bite to eat?"

The Digimon Queen shrugged, "Sure, I already told Grandma I don't know what time I would be home. Shouldn't you be getting home though?" Henry shook his head, "I don't want to go home." She shrugged, "Where would you like to go?"

"What are you in the mood for? My treat," he offered without realizing how it would look to others. At her inquisitive look, he added, "I realized you didn't have your wallet."

Rika turned so her back faced Henry. She stuck her ass out a little. Both of her hands rested lightly on her thighs though rather close to her pelvis. "Aw, just because we had a little fun, you don't have to keep checking me out." She shook her ass teasingly; Henry's blushing face caused her to laugh. She straightened her body and turned to face him after Henry looked away abashed. He was still sitting against the wall. He legs slightly spread out, his knees bent, and his arms resting lazily on his knees.

"Why don't you have your wallet?" He asked out of curiosity, still not looking at her.

Rika thought back to the morning, she had returned home after leaving Jeri's house. Her thoughts began to wander even before she got home. Thinking a walk would do her some good, she faintly remembered what she did with her wallet. "I left it at home; I didn't fancy being mugged while I spaced out." Satisfied, Henry nodded and asked, "So what are you in the mood for?"

~*~*~*~

The computer geek and model's daughter walked into a well known Italian restaurant. The place was fairly inexpensive and had good food; therefore, it became a quick favorite to Shinjuku teenagers and couples on a budget.

Jeri and Takato were sitting in the back. They had yet to order, so they waved over a waiter and pointed to their two friends. Henry and Rika were directed to join their fellow tamers. Takato had moved so he was sitting next to his date, which left the other side of the booth to the blue haired and red head non-dating couple.

"Are you sure you want us to join you? I thought you two were on a date?" Rika asked the brunette couple. The two looked at each other and grinned. "Nah, it's okay. A double date is still a date."

Rika was about to protest, but Henry stopped her. "Let's not cause a commotion on their first date. We can correct them later." His partner in the misunderstanding glowered but sat down anyways. "I can't believe you're letting them think we're dating," she hissed at Henry.

"Look at them, making sickeningly sweet, adoring eyes at each other. There is no way they'll remember a word we tell them." She nodded in disgruntled defeat. He was right; the two looked like they were trying to cure their lovesickness from ten years ago along with their pending lovesickness bound to occur in the coming five years.

Dinner passed along peacefully. Takato and Jeri were entirely ensnared by each other. Henry and Rika were left to there own devices. Henry was trying to describe his communication program in non-geek language--for the most part, successfully. When the bill came, the boys reached for the bill. Upon request, the two couples received two separate bills.

~*~*~*~

Henry walked Rika home after dinner. "If we're able to talk to our digimon, it should bring us a step closer to bringing them back, right?" she asked, dreaming of all the things she could do with Renamon once the two were reunited.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Suzie will be happy to have her two favorite rabbit digimon to play Princess Pretty Pants with her again." Henry smiled as Rika openly laughed. Her laughter was so rare, it was like music playing through an abyss of silence, eerie yet soothing.

"She's still playing her dress up game?" He nodded. "I feel sorry for Terriermon."

Henry grinned, "Terriermon once said he prefers fighting the devas over wearing Suzie's doll dresses. Lopmon never complained, but the minute Terriermon escaped, she would too."

The two tamers stopped in front of Rika's house, but they continued to talk. Neither noticed the gate's door crack open or the glimmer that shone from it.

~*~*~*~

"Thank you for tonight, Takato." Jeri said from her spot in front of her front door. The teenage boy blushed in response, "I'm just sorry I wasn't the one to ask you out." The girl grinned, "There's always next time."

"Right, next ti- Wait, next time?" The blush grew more prominent. "Good night, Takato." Jeri turned, about to open the door. Takato stopped her by grabbing her arm. "You've wanted to say something since we left the restaurant. What is it?" the brunette boy asked. Although normally extremely oblivious, some things were so obvious that even he could detect them. A sigh of relief and a smile answered him.

Jeri hesitated at first, but she happily obliged, glad to share her sentiments with someone else. "I've been thinking of Henry and Rika, that's all. Though I admit I'm more concerned about Rika."

His brows knitted together in confusion. "I'll take a guess and say you think Henry and Rika make a 'lovely' pair. Next, you'll suggest playing matchmaker since it was obvious dinner was not a date for them. What I fail to comprehend is...why you're so worried about Rika?"

Jeri thought her actions out thoroughly. To her, puppets were wonderful because actions, words, and reactions could all be manipulated to the master's liking. The events after the D-Reaper had taught her life wasn't that simple. She may be the puppet master of her puppets, but the outside of her controlled scenarios, she became just another puppet to an unknown master. "I wasn't thinking that, but now that you mention it, why not?" Her grin was extremely playful, borderline teasing. Her companion lapped his forehead for giving his new girlfriend ideas.

She sobered when talking about her fellow tamer and best female friend. "Rika became the 'Ice Queen' as a way of dealing with a past hardship. It may not seem like it to you, but Rika and I have faced a similar tragedy when we were still very young. I can't tell you the specifics, Takato; it isn't my story to tell."

"So you think Henry can melt the barrier she built around her heart?" Takato was still very confused, but at least he was trying to understand.

'At least he's trying,' she reminded herself and smiled. She shook her head. "Renamon already melted the ice barrier to half its original thickness and gave the tamers a hole to work with, but with Renamon gone, Rika is slowly thickening her barrier again. She's starting to patch up the window the tamers once used to see into her heart. The ice she is using now is no where near as cold as her old barrier. This ice is closer to room temperature, easy to break and flawed.

"When Rika's original barrier began to break, Henry played a major role in its meltdown. At one of our sleepovers, Rika told me how Henry would always tease her about having a heart whenever she showed or voiced concerns towards others."

"But Henry doesn't tease her anymore," Takato observed.

"You're right; it's the other way around." Jeri began to elaborate after seeing Takato's confused face. "She teases him for being so naive.-"

Takato tensed. "You and Rika won't tease me also, will you?" His companion laughed. It was cheerful; humor and happiness bubbling to the surface filling his ears with a familiar tune.

~*~*~*~

Click. Click. The source of the crack's glimmer had jumped out of hiding while the two tamers continued to talk about their digimon. Before either teenager could react, they were attacked. Rika stood still and calm though her glare was fixed on her mother, the cause of their current predicament. Henry took a moment to take in what had occurred.

A collar was fastened around his neck. It was connected to a leather cuff on Rika's right wrist by a chain. From the looks of things, the cuff needed a key to be unlocked. By deduction, Henry could only assume the same was for his collar. The boy looked over at the model. In Rumiko's had was a ring of keys. He had no idea which would unlock this S&M contraption. 'This is so embarrassing...' The Chinese-Japanese boy blushed at the very thought of S&M contraption. 'I don't even want to know where she got this.'

Rumiko looked like a fan girl. She looked at her only daughter with tears in her eyes, "My baby girl's all grown up." She sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. The model clasped her hands together and squealed, probably thinking her daughter was romantically inclined; Henry couldn't tell.

"Mom, are you going to let us out?" Rika asked, referring to the cuff and collar. Her voice monotone, though venom occasionally slipped out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I decided to update weekly, aiming for Fridays. (But just so you know, I have terrible aim) This should work out until I start school at the end of August, but by then, I'm hoping to be done. There's not much I can do while keeping my mind out of the gutter. -.-' Even though it's already half way in there. Err, sorry if the characters are OOC, I'm trying my best! Thanks for reading! =D


	3. Interference

A/N: I'd like to take the time to thank Rainbow35 and Some1 U Dunno for reviewing again, and anyone who makes it this far for reading. . I'd also like to apologize for the spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm editing to the best of my ability, but until I take out most of my mistakes, please bear with it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. Plot should be mine...I haven't read anything else like it so I'm hoping no one will sue me for it...

"Mom, are you going to let us out?" Rika asked, referring to the cuff and collar. Her voice monotone, though venom occasionally slipped out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Her mother pouted. "You mean you won't give me a show? My soap operas ended hours ago. No, I won't make it so easy." Her voice was resolute on the matter. Rika sighed and turned towards the collared boy. "Why don't we step into the garden? There's no reason to make a scene out here."

Henry agreed, following the two females through the gate door. Rika continued to glare at her mother. She tried to cross her arms, but the chain was just short enough to tug Henry down. Unsettled, Rika stopped midway, returning her arms to her side. Her cuffed wrist fell to its resting position between her and Henry.

"Why don't you two show me a bit of that 'game' you two were playing? I'm curious as to what game would bring my baby girl home so obviously marked. If you show me enough so I'm satisfied, I'll unlock both of you." Rumiko smiled, "Besides, you can't play games without toys."

Rika groaned; it would take a lot to satisfy her mother. Both Jeri and Rumiko were helpless romantics. The teenage girl turned to her male companion, who was at a loss of what to do. With a handful of chain located only a few inches from Henry's collar and a yank, Henry's and Rika's lips met. She had more control of the situation than he did. Hell, he was probably still trying to figure out what Mrs. Nonaka wanted. Nevertheless, he responded to her advances. His tongue begged for entrance. He was let in without a second thought. They kissed until they were gasping for air. Rika was left panting to regain her breath while Henry left a trail of kisses from her soft, pink lips down her pail jaw line, and to her left earlobe determined to show he could be dominant. He nibbled her earlobe a few times just to get her attention. From there, he gave her neck's left side the same attention her right side got in their first game two days ago.

Though she had attempted to hold back her moans in front of her mother, it probed to be futile. Amused by her failed attempts, Henry smirked into her neck. Just to spite her, he gave the louder moans even more attention, hoping they would produce even larger hickies and louder moans. Frustrated by her current loss in their game, Rika decided to take control again. Grabbing two handfuls of his shirt, she pivoted and backed him against the gate wall. She gave him quick peck on the lips--a kiss void of any romantic inclinations. With his attention momentarily diverted, Rika went after her real target, his Adam's apple. The trailed kisses down his neck paused over her target. If she wasn't careful, she could really hurt him. She kissed and sucked the areas around the target, but never the actual target. Henry was getting antsy; he knew what she was after. She had left more than enough signs. Finally, she gently kissed the bulge on his neck. Rather than sucking the area until it bruised like the other areas, Rika softly raked her teeth around it. 'At least this way, nothing bad should happen,' the Digimon Queen thought. The computer geek shivered. She was being uncommonly gentle. Unable to take it anymore, he switched their positions.

Rika had her back against the wall. Her violet eyes looked up at Henry's wise grey eyes in silent question. Henry was looking down at her with his hands on either side of her head, resting against the wall. "Our roles have switched," Henry said in a husky voice; he barely recognized it. Rika's hands reached up to pull his head down so their lips would meet again. Just as their lips brushed against each other, the two tamers heard a sigh reminding them they had an audience.

The Ice Queen pulled away reluctantly, though she would never admit it. "Have we satisfied your romance fetish or do you require a more elaborate show?" The daughter asked her mother sarcastically.

Rumiko pouted playfully. "Is that really all you can dish out? I thought...oh well, it doesn't matter. What could I expect from a teenage couple? Actually, all things considered, you two are very naughty children." The tamers were about to protest, but Rumiko threw her daughter a key and left, quietly entering the Japanese style house.

Rika tried to unlock the collar, but it didn't work. Frustrated, she did the same to her cuff without success. "Either we didn't do a good enough job or your mom forgot which key unlocks these...contraptions," Henry weighed the possibilities, and his companion responded with the likelihood of each.

"Probably the first. She's a lot like Jeri--obsessed with the helplessly romantic crap." The red head shook her head, her arms raised in a shrug. "This may take a while. Perhaps you should call your family...On second thought, call Takato too; ask him to cover for you. You'd get more crap from your family if they knew you were spending the night here.

~*~*~*~

While Henry and Rika made their phone calls in the kitchen, Rumiko sat in the computer room talking to her mother, Seiko. "I just don't understand her. She gets hickies from a boy in a game! He's a very nice boy! I never would have suspected him of such playboy like actions." Her brows knitted together in confusion.

"Worry leads to premature wrinkles. She's growing up, and you've known that she's always done her own thing. This 'game' you've talked about sounds like something she suggested. Rika is becoming an adult, but until then, she'll be in this awkward teen phase. I should know, I went through it with you," Seiko joked from her spot in front of the computer monitor.

"I don't know," Rumiko trailed off, "I want to know the two can be romantic if they ever choose to pursue what they have as a relationship. I'm very tempted to unlock the two now, so I can send the boy home. Preferably before anything happens, I couldn't bare it if Rika got pregnant as early as I did. If you weren't as supportive as you were, and still are, I would have been a teenage girl with a baby living on the streets."

Seiko gave her daughter a sympathetic look. The family had endured much verbal abuse for the early pregnancy.

~*~*~*~

Rumiko did no find the two tamers in the kitchen. Confused and worried, the blonde mother made her way to her daughter's room. She had prepared herself for the worst, but was met by a delightful sight. The two tamers were asleep on Rika's futon. Henry slept on his back, nearly centered on the mat. Rika curled into him; her legs were weaved into his, and her hands clutched clumps of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. His hands rested on her back. Both of their young faces held small smiles. Rika's hair was down, making the scene even more angelic.

'Only the collar and cuff distract from the scene,' Rumiko thought as she fished out the key. Click. Click. With the cuff and collared chain gone, Rika and Henry looked like a couple on a blissful evening after a wonderful date. The blonde left only to come back with her mother and a camera a few minutes later.

~*~*~*~

"Dad, whewe's Henwy? I wanna pway with him," Suzie asked her father.

"Henry's at a friend's house," Mrs. Wong answered her daughter. Janyuu was busy with work, but judging by the glances he kept throwing towards Henry's room, the man of the house desperately wanted to review his son's program. 'Perhaps we're only a few steps away from bringing the digimon back. Suzie, Ai, and Mako will be ecstatic. The other tamers will also, except for Jeri. Maybe the Sovereign can bring him back,' Janyuu thought hopefully.

"Suzie, you shouldn't bother your father right now. He's very busy with work. How about we go play? When Daddy's down, he can come join us," Mrs. Wong suggested, trying to keep her little girl's tears at bay. Suzie sniffed but agreed nonetheless.

Mr. Wong sighed; Suzie was at it again. He stood up and approached his wife and youngest child. "There's no need. I can take over from here." His wife left with a look of gratitude on her face. "Now, what is it, Princess?"

"Whewe's Henwy? He's been gone neawwy the whowe day. I'm wowwied; I thought he was going to pway with me. Was it something I did? Was it because of bweakfast?" The little girl asked, nearly in tears.

"Henry's at Takato's house working on a school project. You didn't do anything wrong, Princess. Breakfast has no affect on why he's gone now," Janyuu reassured his youngest child.

~*~*~*~

Ryo Akiyama was famous for his Digimon Card playing skills, good looks and for his two year long "missing" status. He was extremely popular among teenagers. Boys were jealous of him; girls swooned after him. The Legendary Tamer could have any girl he wanted, but the only one he wanted was Rika Nonaka--the only girl immune to his "god like" charm. The Digimon King was confident he could win the heart of the Digimon Queen. Kazu and Kenta often reassured him he could have any girl he wanted.

The playboy strutted confidently to the Nonaka household. On this Sunday morning, he would win her heart.

~*~*~*~

"Rika, Henry, it's time for breakfast," Seiko called from the kitchen. No noise came from her granddaughter's room. Worried, Seiko turned to her daughter, "Why don't you go wake them up. I would hate for their food to get cold."

Rumiko perked up. Another chance to take pictures of her sleeping daughter and potential boyfriend. The model walked to her daughter's room, an evident bounce in her step and a camera in her hand. She listened at the door, but the two really were asleep. Quietly, the blonde slid the door open, her camera at the ready. Since the last time Rumiko saw the two teenagers, Rika had rolled away from her blue haired companion. His hold remained firm meaning he had turned to face towards Rika's back; thus, leaving Henry to spoon the fiery Ice Queen. His hands rested appropriately on her stomach, and her head tucked under his chin. To Rumiko, the two were picture perfect. Click. After the camera shutter went off, Rika turned in her sleep. "She hates camera so much, she shies away in her sleep," the mother giggled, and took another picture.

Rika had turned back towards Henry when she could not escape his grip. Again she clutched clumps of his shirt, pulling him closer. She buried her head in his shirt, blocking her face from view of the camera. Although the blonde did not want to ruin the moment, her mother was expecting all of them in the kitchen for breakfast.

"Henry, Henry, wake up. Rika, breakfast is ready," Rumiko said while shaking them each in turn. The two teens groaned, but neither really moved. "Henry, wake up now before my daughter learns all about morning wood. She'll probably tease you a lot about it too."

Henry groggily rolled away from Rika. Her grip loosened when his hands enveloped hers. He made his way to the bathroom to complete normal morning business.

"Rika, if you continue this sleeping beauty act, I will call all the male tamers over-," Rumiko attempted to coax her daughter out of bed but was interrupted by her red haired daughter swatting her with the pillow. Another groan escaped followed by a mumbled, "You talk too much."

Henry returned to the room after washing up. "Rika, your mom and grandma want you to get up now. Breakfast is ready. If you don't hurry, it will get cold." Rika shot out of bed, running to the bathroom. Rumiko pouted, "Aw, you ruined my fun. You could have kissed her awake." The boy blushed, and the mother grinned. "She's a real sleeping beauty. I bet a handsome prince like you wouldn't mind locking lips with the lovely princess every morning." She winked. As she went on with the Sleeping Beauty analogy, Henry became redder and redder.

"I'm-uh, I-I'm g-gonna check on Rika," the guest stuttered happy to get away from the romantic. When he reached the bathroom, Rika was already coming out of it. Rika raised one curious eyebrow with a small smirking smile on her lips. "She embarrassed you with her young, romantic thought process?" the red head asked her companion on their way to the kitchen. He nodded his blush still prominent.

~*~*~*~

Ding, dong! At ten am, the doorbell rang. Henry had not left yet. He had stayed to help Rika do the dishes and clear off the table. Rumiko was about to leave for a photo shoot, so she was the one to answer the door.

"Oh," the model sounded, genuinely surprised. "Ryo, what are you doing here? I thought you only came to Shinjuku on Saturdays. Oh, how rude of me. Would you like to come in? How have you been? Good, I hope. Would you like some tea? I'm afraid I have a job to get to, but Rika and her friends are here. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic to have company."

Ryo followed Rumiko into the living room silently, only answering her questions with short phrases. The mention of a friend caught his attention. "A friend? Jeri's here?" he asked. 'I thought I knew her routine. Their sleepover should have been Saturday night, not Sunday. At least it's a national holiday today, so none of us have school.'

The blonde shook her head with a smile. "Give me a minute; I'll go get them."

~*~*~*~

Henry and Rika had returned to her room after cleaning. Rika was dead set on getting more sleep, but a glimpse in the mirror caught her attention. That is how Rumiko found them, in front of the mirror. Her daughter lamented her V-shaped hickies while her companion chuckled at her frowning face.

"Ryo's here. Why don't you two go greet our guest? I've got to get to work before I'm late," she said and left, notifying Ryo they would be with him in a minute.

'Rika's hesitating, I wonder why,' Henry thought as he watched her curiously. She had stopped examining her hickies to look at him and his bruised neck. "Would you do me a favor? Act like my boyfriend in front of Ryo. He can't take a hint. I don't like him, but he keeps trying." Dumfounded Henry nodded in agreement. "Just treat it like our game," his companion said, visibly relaxing after his reply. She grinned, 'Neither will know what's coming to them.'

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Sorry, this is posted kind of late. . I know it isn't as long as chapter two, but I'll try to make chapter four longer. At least this chapter is longer than chapter one. That's got to count for something, right?


	4. Resentment

A/N: I'd like to thank Tails-Coyote-Carnivore, Karika88, Some1 U Dunno, Milchschnitte, White Roses and the Violet Sea, TTT, and Starowner for reviewing. I apologize for posting so very, very late. Family issues, school and friends in hospitals came up, so I was busy. The story will begin after I clarify something. Go ahead and skip it if you think you don't need to read it. It's just a response to something a reviewer pointed out.

As unlikely as it seems, there are all different types of people in the world. This leads to different types of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, family, friends, etc. As nice as it would be to categorize people into stereotypes who all act the same way, like the same stuff, and are equally predicable, but that is not how life works.

My interpretation of Rumiko is an unlikely outcome, but it is a type of mother. We know Rumiko is girly. We know Rika is a tomboy. We know Rumiko wants Rika to be girly. Is my interpretation so far fetched? It's no like I ever said the tamers were at a certain age. Context clues suggest after season three ended to any time before high school graduation. Please use your imagination to fill in the details. Writers paint an outlined picture. I believe it is the readers who color and adjust aspects to it their needs. Thank you for your time. I'm sorry to interrupt the story, but this is important for some. Thanks for reading!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Footsteps could be heard trekking closer and closer. Ryo stood up from the living room couch, still expecting Jeri to be Rika's visiting friend. A large, tan hand--too dark to be any of the girls he knew and too big to be a girl's--slid open the door separating Ryo from the girls. The older boy glared at Henry before glancing at his beloved red haired maiden. "Hey, Wildcat, how have you been?" he asked cheerfully while his eyes took in the changes from yesterday. Her neck had twice as many hickies and her lips were slightly swollen.

"You mean since yesterday when you saw me last?" she asked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes, even though she answered anyways. "If you must know, I've never felt better." Rika had not smiled when looking at him, but when she glanced Henry's way, she did. Ryo's eyebrows knitted together. Although Henry looked at his fellow male tamer with sympathy, Rika continued to play the role of I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass-about-you to Ryo and the stereotypical role of an adoring girlfriend to Henry. Ryo held back his jealous rage, knowing nothing good could come from it. 'I guess I really am Cydramon's partner," he thought cynically. 'I have to be reined in, or I'll begin a massacre--starting with Wong. Damn it, his name is Henry--Henry, not Wong--stupid jealousy.'

"Does this mean you're taken, Pumpkin? If it isn't a closed relationship, I'd be happy to get to know you better."

Rika cringed. Henry placed his hands on her waist possessively and reassuringly. "You're welcome to get to know her better," Henry said with an uncharacteristic bite, continuing their game by establishing his role--although Ryo was still oblivious to it. "The same way you've always been, with all the other tamers at the tamer meetings." Rika looked up at her 'boyfriend' with a warm, bright smile to express her gratitude. Henry glanced at the clock, eleven am. "We should wrap this up. Rika, you wanted to go out for lunch, right?"

Happy to have an excuse, she nodded. "Bye, Akiyama! Oh, and one more thing STOP CALLING ME THOSE _RIDICULOUS _PET NAMES!" the Ice Queen pushed the unwanted guest out the gate. The blue and red haired couple exited the house only after Ryo was out of site.

~*~*~*~

The Legendary Tamer sighed, instead of making him positively cheerful, visiting the Nonaka household had made the optimistic male extremely depressed. He was sitting on Kazu's desk chair backwards. Thirty minutes after being kicked out by Renamon's and Terriermon's partners, the Digimon King found himself seeking comfort in two of his most devoted followers and friends, Kazu and Kenta.

"Dude, that's harsh," Kazu exclaimed after Ryo explained the situation. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. One foot resting on his other thigh with his hands gripping his raised ankle.

"If you would like to look at it statistically," Kenta began, drawing their attention to the quiet idolizer sitting on the floor. "About sixty five percent of the female teenage population love Ryo. The other thirty five percent have never heard of Digimon, have never picked up a teen magazine, and are either very devoted girlfriends--like Jeri, or they are the one and only Rika Nonaka."

Ryo groaned, placing his head on top of his folded arms. "Not helping, Dude. Did you forget Rika falls under the category of 'taken?' She's Henry's girl according to Ryo-man here," Kazu scolded, shaking his head.

Kenta lowered his head, embarrassed for forgetting so quickly. Then it dawned on him, and he perked up. A silly grin crossed his face. "She's 'taken,' but Ryo doesn't know if she's devoted or not. Has she ever been in a relationship before?"

Ryo shook his head. He had liked her long enough to know.

"Then you still have a chance," Kazu exclaimed before Kenta could say it. The three boys began plotting ways to test the new couple's loyalties.

~*~*~*~

Rika scowled, seeing Ryo never put her in a good mood. Henry smiled. 'Now this is the Rika I'm familiar with!' "Do you have your wallet today?"

The Digimon Queen looked over confused. "Lunch is on you. Think of it as payment for helping you with Ryo." Muttering later, "and my embarrassment. Quite possibly the harassment I may receive."  
The fox's consort smirked. "Alright, I suppose I owe you. Where would you like to eat?"

The partially Chinese boy remained silent for a while, thinking of a place he wouldn't mind eating at. "How about the Katou's family restaurant? It's fairly inexpensive, and Jeri can keep us company."

The Ice Queen scoffed. "If Jeri's there, Takato will be too. Or they could be at the bakery," she added as an after thought. Henry threw her a curious look. "Is this your blunt way of making fun of the mushy pair or your secretive way of saying they're cute?" His companion huffed, crossing her arms, and looking away from him--another action he could easily say he was familiar with.

~*~*~*~

Jeri was wiping down the bar counter of her family restaurant while talking to her boyfriend. Takato was sitting on a barstool, talking amiably to his new girlfriend and her family. Her father was cooking in the kitchen, exchanging words with the two teens when he brought out meals. It wasn't busy hour just yet, so the restaurant had only a few customers. Her step-mother was serving both the guests and Jeri's little brother, who was playing in the other room. Jeri looked out the window and smiled. "Look, Takato, it's our favorite pair~"

"You shouldn't say stuff like that. Rika may hurt you," her goggle-head cautioned, though a smile laid plastered on his face too.

Henry and Rika entered the restaurant, greeting the family. The martial arts student looked at his friends in confusion. It was normal for them to be grinning at each other, just not at their

Friends. "I think they have something planned," he whispered to the red head beside him.

"Wouldn't surprise me. It's Jeri," she said, stressing her friend's name. "She's a romantic--as crazy as my mother." The brunette girl ushered her friends to two empty barstools beside her boyfriend. "What can I get you two?" The duo ordered, waiting for the smiling girl to exit the room. When she was completely out of site, they turned to Takato. "Why is she smiling so much?"

"You didn't knock her up already, did you? Or did you promise to marry her?" The Digimon Queen asked accusingly, glaring at the "leader." Henry shoved her lightly. While she was looking out for her friend, he was defending his. "Don't jump to conclusions."

The fearless ('Yeah right.' Rika thought) leader watched the other two thirds of the original tamers in confusion. When their arguing subsided, Rika took a sip of the ice water Jeri had given them before she had left. "You mean you don't know? Kazu called Jeri just minutes ago to inform us you two were going out. Jeri's been ecstatic ever since. She's been going on and on about how it was bound to happen." Henry's eyes widened, unsure of what to say. Rika was tempted to spit out her water. She resisted the urge, swallowed, and ended up coughing. Her "boyfriend" rubbed her back out of an older brother reflex (Suzie would try to hold in laughter after drinking something occasionally).

"Where did you hear that from? We haven't seen Kazu since yesterday's tamers' meeting," the boy informed his leader. He weighed the pros and cons of continuing the two's game or exposing the truth. The girl beside him stopped coughing, but his hand continued rubbing circles on her back.

"Um...I think Jeri said Kazu heard it from Ryo, who saw you two this morning?" Rika groaned, looking to her accomplice for an answer. Henry's hand stopped, too shocked to move. The pair looked at each other, neither of the two was sure if they should continue pretending or come out with the truth.

A squeal interrupted their silent conversation. Jeri was under the arc separating the hall from the restaurant. "Oh, you two make such a lovely pair! Whoops, did I interrupt something special? Takato, why don't you come help me in the back." she continued, not letting anyone intrude on her monologue. "Your meals will be ready shortly."

The two looked back at each other after the other two tamers left. "I guess that means the charade will trek on," the girl sighed. The boy nodded, unaware of what he should feel.

~*~*~*~

Rumiko was resting in the dressing room while the photo assistants changed the set. Coco, her photographer was talking to her through the door. "Did you find a use for them?" he asked.

The model smiled. "Yes, they were surprisingly useful." Coco's eyes widened, his mouth agape even though Rumiko couldn't see him. "Was he young?" The two were good friends. She would try to get Rika into modeling by bringing her to Coco. He seemed to be the only photographer who could deal with her antics.

"He was very young and obviously inexperienced with girls. Especially with the one he was dealing with. The blonde stood up, ready to resume the shoot.

"Ooh, sounds like you got some action," the photographer said in awe while working on last minute preparations.

Rumiko steeped out of the dressing room and laughed at her friend. "Action? Coco, I used the collar and handcuff to attach my daughter to a very nice boy she knows. He's around her age. They make a very lovely pair. I'll show you pictures of them together later." She smiled eerily, proud to have found her daughter a good potential boyfriend.

His eyebrows knitted together at first, but as his co-worker and friend explained more, his features relaxed. A smile graced his lips. Coco shook his head. "You are one very strange mother. I don't doubt they're a cute pair. Most boys would look wonderful besides Rika; she's got the good looks of a model."

"But?" Rumiko asked as the two made their way to the photography equipment on the other side of the room.

"I find it odd you would use a sex shop item on your teenage daughter and her boyfriend." He metered the lights, she posed and he took the pictures. The conversation continued between shots.

~*~*~*~

Wednesday afternoon (just barely), Rika sat at her desk impatiently tapping her pencil. Almost two school days had gone by since Henry and her became "official." Almost three school days and a weekend since her classmates began rumors of her and the mysterious "boyfriend." Even now, in the middle of the class period, majority of the students were gossiping about the allusive Queen.

"I hear they're going out," one girl whispered to another.

"No way! Who would want to date her?" The girl's friend replied snidely.

"Maybe she's paying him." Another girl chimed in.

In another corner of the room, the red head was also being discussed, but with another twist. "I hear he's some computer genius she knows," the voice shared the information. She sounded very detached from the conversation. An audible gasp could be heard in a different part of the room, but Rika wanted to know what they could say about Henry. He would probably laugh about it with her later.

Laughter could be heard. "No wonder he would agree to be her boyfriend! He probably just wanted someone to play video games with."

"Or someone with a vagina," one attempted to whisper, failing miserably.

Disinterested, the social outcast in the all-girl school listened for another conversation to entertain herself with until the class period ended.

"I hear there's a transfer coming in," a girl in the second to front row whispered excitedly.

"Psh, I hear she's just like Nonaka--rebellious," one scoffed.

'Sometimes, it's beneficial to sit in the middle of the classroom. There's always some interesting news being spread below the current headlines,' the Digimon Queen thought.

~*~*~*~

Lunch break for most of the tamers also meant Takato leaving Jeri to find Henry. She had shrugged it off. She wanted to hang out with Niki instead of Kazu and Kenta. Takato found his friend outside leaning on a tree. "You called me out here to talk, right?" the leader questioned, hoping it wasn't a prank.

"I thought I should tell you something. You can't tell anybody though, not even Jeri. Rika doesn't want to break her heart." the martial art student began. "Rika and I aren't really dating. It was an easy ticket to getting Ryo off her back."

"So why are you telling me?" Takato fidgeted, know he wasn't very good at keeping secrets.

"Rika and I decided to tell one person each. You're my best friend; I want to trust you on this. Rika may not tell anyone at all. Jeri and Ms. Nonaka are romantics; they think it's wonderful Rika's got a boyfriend."

Takato stopped fidgeting, but now Henry was doing it. After a few minutes of Henry's fidgeting, Takato finally noticed. "What else?" the leader asked, "There is something else, isn't there?"

"I have no idea how to act around her. She's labeled my 'girlfriend,' but we're still just friends. How do I know how far to go with her if I don't want people to find out we aren't actually dating or make her feel uncomfortable?" the blue hair boy ranted, unsure of what to do.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Kazu and Kenta were eating their lunches in the classroom. "Chumley, I do believe we need more information." Kazu said out of the blue.

A raised eyebrow answered him. "Our school project? We were just assigned it yesterday. There's no way we would have enough information right now. ...Oh, you mean on Henry and Rika," the boy rambled, proving once again that he was a little slow. His friend nodded, "Forget homework, we're going to spy on a few of their dates. We'll be reporting back to Ryo."

~*~*~*~

"Why are we doing this?" the girl asked. She sat in front of him, positioned between his spread legs. Her back resting against his chest. Henry wrapped his arms around her waist, bending down to whisper in one of her ears. "Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum followed me. They would never make very good ninjas."

Rika quietly laughed, shaking her head. "You've been around me too much. You're insulting them like I would." she whispered back.

He smiled warmly. 'I like spending time with her,' he realized. "Any idea which direction they could be in?" the computer geek asked, pulling her closer to feel her warmth. "Probably the bushes, they aren't very original. I mean, seriously, they idolized someone as fake and lame as Ryo--Mr.-I'll-be-your-Prince-Charming. Psh, he forgets to add, 'and every other willing females' too.'" Henry slowly turned her around as she talked. When she began rambling, the Japanese-Chinese boy prepared to take action.

The Wong household's youngest boy dipped his girlfriend to the side, giving the not so inconspicuous spies a show, and kissed her tenderly. She hesitated to respond, but when she did, she did so passionately. 'I almost forgot the difference between our game and reality,' Rika thought, unsure of her own feelings. Frustrated with herself, she vented her internal rage on Henry. She bit and sucked his lips, since she could not abuse her own at the moment. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she pressed her lips to her "boyfriend's." He broke their kiss seeing the tears in her eyes just waiting to fall. In his effort to offer her all the comfort he could muster, she was gathered into his arms like a daughter is to her father after a nightmare. He kissed the outer corners of her eyes. "We don't have to continue." Rika was about to protest, but her accomplice trekked on. "If this charade hurts you that much, we can stop at any time."

"What? No, you have it all wrong, Henry, I wasn't-"

~*~*~*~

Kazu and Kenta strained their ears from their spot in the bushes. They had a decent view of the two considering the circumstances.

"I haven't heard a single word from the two, have you?" the louder of the two huffed, collapsing to his bum out of frustration. His companion shook his head, but his eyes remained glued on the couple before them. "How can you watch them making out? Don't we see enough of that between Takato and Jeri?"

"She's sad or angry, something along those lines. Who knows? Girls are so hard to read," Kenta observed, his eyes still firmly stationed at their previous destination. "We should have brought binoculars."

The visor brunette snapped his head towards his friend. "Don't tell me you like a girl too," he groaned. "It's not HER is it?"

~*~*~*~

Yet again, Rika found herself sitting in the middle of her classroom, but this time, it was still morning. The teacher had not appeared. The students gossiped, and Rika...well, she was lost in her own little world. 'Yesterday afternoon was...peculiar. Henry sure jumped to some strange conclusions. If only he had given me a chance to explain...'

"Class, a transfer student just arrived. Please be courteous to her." the teacher immediately began upon entering the room. "You can come in now." The teacher addressed to the doorway after the students followed the polite routine of stand, bow and sit.

A familiar blonde haired girl with icy blue eyes entered the class. "Why don't you introduce yourself," the teacher encouraged.

"My name is Alice McCoy. I will not speak more than necessary. My favorite color is the absence there of. Please do not talk to me if it is only for your pointless, mindless chatter. Sensei, may I take that empty seat beside the red head?"

The teacher nodded, surprised by her boldness. Rika smirked. It was good to have an amiable acquaintance. When Alice approached, she said "Nonaka," and nodded.

"McCoy," Rika nodded back. The two shared a quick smile so their classmates would not see.

A week went by. At school, Alice and Rika would be silent friends. After school, Rika would alternate between hanging out with Alice and hanging out with Henry. She had checked with both of them, but the three never hung out together, even though they all said they wouldn't mind.

~*~*~*~

A Chinese-Japanese boy sighed; he was sitting in the park with his best friend, the bakers' boy. "What's wrong?" his friend asked. Takato was hunched over his sketchbook, drawing dinosaur based digimon. The two were hanging out at Guilmon's hideout. Rika and Alice were at a cafe, and Jeri was with friends at the mall. Kazu and Kenta were visiting Ryo. Suzie was playing with Ai and Mako at their house.

"I think Rika and I should end our charade. Last time I kissed her, she responded passionately, but she had tears gathering in her eyes. I don't want to hurt her or our friendship." Henry was aggravated. He was usually considered very smart, but when it came to girls, especially Rika, he was just as lost as most other guys.

Takato stopped drawing to look over at this friend. "Why not just ask her? Jeri told me we should talk things over before we make assumptions about each other, especially when it comes to the other's thoughts. Just be thankful Rika isn't a clingy, romantic girl. That would put the charade and your friendship in a really awkward place." Takato put his sketchbook down. He was not very good at multitasking.

"But-"

~*~*~*~

"I just don't understand it Niki. My own boyfriend seems to be hiding something from me. He changes the subject if I try to discuss other peoples' relationships, especially our friends' (Henry's and Rika's) relationship."

"Then he probably is." The two girls were browsing through clothes in one of the mall stores.

"I hope it isn't bad. Henry and Rika make a very good couple. She deserves a nice guy like him, someone she can trust who will treat her right." Jeri said, pulling out a shirt to examine. An olive green screen t-shirt with black and silver writing and a lion design in the background.

"That's cute," Niki said, glancing at the shirt, "but I think this one fits you more." Niki was holding a green shirt with a gold foil screen print of a lion cub curled around a heart.

~*~*~

Alice and Rika sat in the cafe drinking a hot cup of tea. For the most part, the two were very silent. Alice enjoyed the quiet, and Rika enjoyed company that wouldn't yammer on and on in perky, annoying chatter.

I should tell you something," Alice said abruptly, breaking their usual silence. Her icy blue eyes were focused on her tea cup, but her ears listened for her friend's peaked interest. The red head grunted for her friend to continue with what she wanted to say.

'She's such a tomboy. It's a wonder she was raised by two women,' Alice thought with an almost visible smile. The corners of her lips barely curved up, but they did. "I think you should know...I dated Henry a little after the D-Reaper incident. The reason the three of us haven't hung out together, even though we said we would is because of me. I asked Henry to give me a chance to explain our past to you." Alice had been fiddling with the napkin in her lap, afraid to look up. When she did, it was only to find Rika holding back laughter. The blonde's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Alice, Henry and I aren't really dating. It's just a charade to keep Ryo off my back. You're my friend. Can I trust you to keep this a secret between Takato, Henry, you and me?" The Ice Queen explained. "This charade has been going on for a while, so Henry and I were supposed to tell one friend each."

"Henry told Takato, and now, you're telling me. Why me? You could have told Jeri. We only became friends recently." Although slightly surprised by her friend's confession, the Goth really only wanted to hear her friend deny it was a matter of convience.

The Digimon Queen shrugged, raising Alice's doubt. "We may not have known each other for very long, but I think we can be good friends--honest friends. Jeri still thinks Henry and I were bound to be together. If I told her we aren't really dating, she'd probably have a stroke. I trust you, but now the question is: do you think I should trust you?"

~*~*~

Kenta was explaining his observations and thoughts to Ryo and Kazu. The former was disgusted yet thoroughly engrossed. The latter was asleep from Kenta's entire hypothesis.

"Overall, I think that the two are about to face some turbulence. Ryo's best chance would be when the two are just about to break up."

Kazu woke just from subconsciously hearing "overall." His forehead wrinkled in confusion, but sleeping in class had taught him a few tricks. "How will he know when they're just about to break up? Dude, the only one who can be considered a genius is, well, none of us." Kenta glared at his friend. While the others were by no means smart, he resented that his childhood friend would lump the three of them together so easily. While Kazu barely passed tests, he was the one who always made it to the top five in every test. If you ask about Ryo's scores, they're always burned before another soul can see it.

~*~*~

Suzie was enjoying her time with Ai and Mako. The three were the youngest of the tamers, and as such, were often excluded out of the older tamers' activities. Not that they really minded, often they found the teenage tamers' activities to be boring. While the three youngest were fine with hanging out at the park or in a room full of toys, the others required gossip, music, and other objects Suzie, Ai, and Mako found frivolous. The only things all the tamers could agree on were digimon and candy.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: At a road block known as writer's block. Sorry it took so long, but a bunch of things came up. I'll try to post again, but there are never any guarantees. I hope you enjoy what little there is.


	5. Winter Holidays

A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed. You're confidence in my writing is a little over whelming, but thank you so much for all your support. I will try my best to update more often, since I just finished my spring semester finals (and I'm not going to take summer courses this year). Please bare with it, thank you so much.

TT-TT Please look at the rating. Though there may be some suggested scenes, there will be no lemons within the T rating. I don't think I can write an M rated story. Actually, I'm probably going tone the content down. It's getting too repetitive. =/ I was starting to get bored with it. Probably why I dropped it for so long...

Previously: The only things all the tamers could agree on were digimon and candy.

Chapter Five:

Mrs. Wong came by Ai's and Mako's house to pick Suzie up. The young tamers were sad due to the separation, but they knew they could see each other later. The tamer meeting wasn't too far away. They would just have to wait.

Back at the Wong household, Suzie was talking excitedly with her parents. This is how Henry found his family after a long day. "Henry!" Suzie cried excitedly. "We're going to have a party!" The little mauve haired girl as she ran around the kitchen table and living room couch with gusto. Her arms were stretched out to keep her balance, and the balls of her feet bounced with each step, giving her a little boost into the air.

Her older brother looked at her perplexed. "A party, here?" Henry asked the two adults who sat at the dinning table with smiles on their faces, "What for?"

Janyuu smiled at his little girl, watching her wear herself out from running around the apartment. "Nothing in particular, Suzie just wanted a party where all the tamers could enjoy themselves. She said the only things you all agree on are digimon and candy." His wife turned her smiling face to her husband, "Such a simplistic explanation, yet just as easily to the point. A child's simplicity, I miss those days." Mrs. Wong sighed, remembering her younger years. Janyuu and Henry looked at each other, almost like a warning. Henry excused himself, escaping into his room.

After escaping to his room, the blue haired computer geek sighed. Maybe it was the embarrassment? Perhaps the possibility of acting love-dove-y in front of his parents after telling them they weren't together, but he was not looking forward to the party. Worries began to build up in his head. He couldn't really think anymore; all his troubles originated from this game he was playing with Rika. "I'm going to go crazy trying to figure all this out," he mumbled to himself before giving up and turning his computer on.

The Ice Queen groaned; the two were still in the cafe, but the conversation had strayed-by a lot. "Please, don't remind me. I'll get cramps just thinking about it." The blonde gave the Digimon Queen an amused, crooked smile.

"Really now? Are yours that bad? Mine only lasts five days," Alice said; her eyes twinkled with laughter. She picked up her tea and took a small sip just waiting for Rika's reply. The two were getting more and more comfortable with each other.

'Thankfully, it isn't in her nature to openly show her emotions,' Rika thought as she glared at her friend. "Eight days usually, I'm irregular. The longer I go without one, the more painful it is when it comes." Both girls cringed, 'It's painful enough with the moodiness, some cravings, feeling bloated, etc.'

Takato was busy trying to solve Henry's problem with Rika. He was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he was completely oblivious to his surroundings. Before he knew it, he was on Jeri's street. His beloved girlfriend was standing ten feet in front of him, but she didn't look happy. Jeri's feet were shoulder width apart, her hands rested on her hips, and her eyes were trained intently on his eyes. He could only offer a weak smile, sensing trouble; nevertheless, he approached with caution.

"Takato, have you been hiding something from me? It's okay if you can't tell me, but can I at least know what it pertains to, so you stop awkwardly changing the subject on me?" the brunette girl looked frustrated. The bakers' boy was faintly reminded of his mother, but quickly pushed that thought away.

He looked away blushing, partially because he wasn't sure what to say and partially because he didn't want to think of Jeri as his mother. "It's not really my place to say, so I can't tell you everything even though I want to. I would if I could, but I can't. It's about Henry and Rika, their relationship. The thing is, I'm not suppose to talk about it," Takato stuttered and rambled quickly in his typical awkward fashion, unsure of how much information he could leak while still keeping his promise to both Jeri and Henry, "I'm sorry." His chin was lowered, afraid to meet his girlfriend's eyes. The boy's eyes were squeezed shut, hoping Jeri would believe him- believe the truth.

The corners of her mouth curved up into a heartfelt smile. She stretched her arms forward and embraced her boyfriend. "Thank you for telling me what you could. I just didn't want us to keep secrets. I know we each will have our secrets, but you had me worried. I thought something bad had happened."

Tap, tap, tap, tap. Fingers continually tapped the keys of a keyboard. Henry had stopped thinking of Rika and their relationship troubles by fully emerging himself in his work. He had unknowingly skipped dinner, but thankfully, Janyuu set aside some of the left-overs so the young computer genius wouldn't starve when he realized the time. It was midnight when Henry finally heard his growling stomach. He looked at the clock with surprised slightly red, wide eyes. After shaking his head a few times, he finally got up and stretched. The boy left his room to get food from the kitchen, only to find a plate of food on the counter waiting for him.

'I'm so close to getting the digimon back,' Henry thought as he ate his microwaved left-overs. 'There's just one problem with the program. Maybe if I ask Dad in the morning. Yeah, I should get some sleep.'

While brushing his teeth, the Chinese-Japanese boy looked into the mirror. Subconsciously, he brought one of his hands up to his face, touching the skin around one of his eyes. His tan skin was beginning to sag beneath his eyes. The charade and digimon program were both cutting into his sleeping hours, even his study hours. Groggily, Henry rubbed his eye before finishing his routine. He would sleep in, no matter what day it was tomorrow. 'What day is tomorrow?' the boy thought as he pulled the sheets of his bed over his head.

Ryo laid in his bed, scheming. His hands were tucked beneath is head as he laid on his back. A grin dominated the lower region of his face. The clock beside him read two o'clock A.M., but he paid it no attention.

'I can do this,' he thought, 'With Kazu and Kenta's help; I can definitely get Rika to be mine, and only mine. Henry doesn't stand a chance. My lovely, little Wildcat doesn't know what's coming.'

Takato wandered around the school with Jeri. They had ditched Kazu and Kenta under the pretense of finding Henry. The only problem was that Henry was no where to be found. The brunette girl shook her head. With an optimistic smile, she suggested, "Why don't we go to his classroom. He can't always be in the same place. Maybe he's home sick..."

"Yeah," her boyfriend replied. "Maybe that's it. We could visit him after school, unless you would rather do something else." His girlfriend shook her head again with her ever cheerful smile plastered on her face. "We should call Rika if that's the case.

Unsure of what motivated her to do so, Rika found herself standing in front of the Wong's apartment door. Jeri and Takato called her after school to tell her Henry was sick. Everything after that until now was a blur. Tentatively, the redhead knocked on the door. 'Why aren't Takato and Jeri here? They tell me he's sick, but don't come themselves,' she thought nervously.

The door cracked open and little Suzie's head peeked through the door. "Rika!" Suzie exclaimed excitedly as she threw open the door. Rika walked through and took off her shoes.

"Hi, Suzie, how've you been? I heard that Henry is sick. Is it alright that I'm visiting?" Rika didn't want it to show, but she was nervous. Why, she wasn't sure herself.

The little girl nodded, rambling on and on as she normally did while leading the older girl even though Rika had been over several times before. Suzie cracked open the door and then walked away smiling. Henry had been a rather depressed state all day, though Suzie was unsure of as to why.

Rika waited for the youngest Wong to disappear into her own room before entering her "boyfriend's room." Soft, shallow breaths could be heard for the corner of the room. 'At least he isn't snoring,' the redhead thought. 'Where did that come from?' She shook her head before moving out of the doorway and towards the blue haired boy. The door was partially open, but she didn't really care. What could happen when Henry was sick, right?

She peered over the bed but still could not see Henry's face. The boy was lying on his side with his legs loosely curled towards his chest, his body facing the wall, and the covers pulled almost entirely over his head-only his hair looked like it could get air. Rika smiled at the thought. 'Although childish, it's amusing to see him this way,' the girl held back a smile and shook her head. 'What is wrong with me lately?'

Before Rika knew it, she had pulled the blanket down so that Henry's face would be exposed to the air. 'He looks so exhausted,' worry lines were beginning to form on the Ice Queen's brow, especially when she realized she was subconsciously caressing his face and running her hands through his hair.

The boy emitted a small groan.

_It's cold. I'm having trouble opening my eyelids. They feel so heavy. I suppose the lack of sleep is getting to me now. I finally open my eyes; I see a blanket of snow covering everything around me. Guess that explains the cold. There's light illuminating the snow. Wow, like a symphony, the lights shimmy over the snow to create wonderful designs. Was that Terriermon! No, it couldn't have been...could it? I could have been mistaken. I swear I just saw Renamon and Guilmon too._

_Could this possibly be real? Strong light is growing on my right, just outside of my peripheral vision. I turn to look, but the light is blinding. My feet feel wet. When I look down, I see water lapping at my feet. Waves? Is this the beach then? It's much too bright to be sure of anything._

_I suppose my thoughts were heard, the light is dimming. A curvy figure only half a head shorter than me is walking towards me. The blasted light is making it impossible to see any distinguishing features. Though, that hand feels so soft against my cheek. I wonder if I know this person..._

_My eyebrows furrow together in confusion. As quickly as the figure came, it suddenly disappeared. My eyes travel down to the water. The comforting waves are receding. The waves that once licked my ankles are now shrinking back. The closest they approach is still two meters ahead of me. The warm golden light that once enveloped my surroundings is gone. Strong, booming and flashing lights of red lights are following the beatings of a drum from behind me. Curiosity overcomes me, and I turn 180 degrees to find the source. Now that I have, I regret it. Kazu and Kenta are dancing around a Bonn fire to the beat of a single drum. The two boys both had horns coming out of their heads and a spiked tail from their posteriors swished back and forth. Guardromon is manning the percussion. My eyes are captured by a small moment behind the Bonn fire. I squint my eyes and crane my neck to make out the figures and objects behind the blazing fire._

_Ryo is sitting on a throne made of skeleton bones. Cyberdramon stands next to him. Our eyes meet, and he growls. Startled, I take a step back, but the ground feels very different. When I look down and behind me, I see an endless abyss. I'm standing on the top of a cliff. So much for the snow or the gentle waters! Evil laughter rings through my ears, grabbing my attention once again._

_My eyes widen; the Satan ruler, Ryo is holding a stunning red haired beauty by her short hair. She is glaring at her captor, though the brunette ruler doesn't seem to care. Her hands are ties behind her back, and her feet are dragged down by a ball and chain. Realization dawned on me that the beauty was none other than Rika. Her "Digimon King" was bringing her up for a rough kiss, but she turns away. _

Rika frowned when she realized Henry was having a troubling dream. The cold sweat gathering on his forehead was taunting her. Worried, she shook him awake. "Henry," her voice filled with worry, bordering on panic, "Henry, get up."

Groaning, the boy turned over. Groggy as he was, he did manage to get up at the sound of a familiar voice. "Wazit?" he asked incoherently as he rubbed at his eyes. The cold sweat still stuck to his forehead, but the dream was completely forgotten. A few seconds passed while Henry took his time waking up, and Rika realized there wasn't anything to worry about.

"You had a bad dream," she explained when Henry finally looked her in the eyes. "You don't remember?"

He shook his head. His eyebrows furrowed together. "I just remember being troubled. I have a feeling I know the people, but I don't remember who exactly was in it." A sigh escaped his lips.

His "girlfriend's" expression visibly softened. It didn't always show with her, but she cared-even if neither of them were willing to admit it.

"I'm going to wash up. I think I went to sleep at three A.M. Be right back," His movements were sluggish and unsteady, but Rika sat in front of his computer, patiently waiting for him.

"I think I have a way to get the Digimon back," the Chinese-Japanese boy told the mixed Japanese girl (Irish blood, possibly?). Her normally cold, violet eyes brightened with the news. For a split second, there seemed to be a fire behind her eyes-a fire that truly conveyed her genuine excitement. Impulsively, the girl threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.

"That's great! I miss Renamon so much; I can't wait to see her again."

Henry blushed. This was not typical Rika behavior. Even with their little game still going on, Rika always managed to throw him off course. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him. "It'll be soon; I promise. I just have to double check everything with Dad. We'll be able to talk to the sovereigns and possible override Yamaki's Juggernaut program with this new program." Their hug was both to comfort each other and themselves. No matter what anyone said, all the tamers missed their Digimon terribly.

"Alice is great with computers too. You should run the program by her too. The three of us still need to hang out anyways. Do you think Dobermon and Leomon will come back? Alice and Jeri will be ecstatic if they did." Rika stopped her excited chatter instantly. Her face became a faint pink. "Oops? Sorry, I started to ramble."

Winter break was an interesting event to say the least. For the few weeks they all had off of school, the tamers got together often. When it was too cold to hang out at the park, they would all pile into the Katou's restaurant or some other place they could all agree on (hardly any other place COULD be agreed on).

Two days before Christmas, the Wong family threw a Christmas party for the Tamer group. Ryo tried to catch Rika under the mistletoe, but she quickly switched places with Kenta when the Legendary Tamer leaned in for a kiss. Mortified, Kenta and Ryo would not speak to each other for the rest of the night. Alice was happy she caught the event on camera. Suzie, Ai and Mako ran around the apartment until they were too tired to run anymore. Henry and Alice took turns reviewing the program. Janyuu was the last one to look over their work. Jeri and Takato were playing Digimon cards. Kazu was trying to play peacemaker between Kenta and Ryo. Rika was silently watching the turmoil she created.

At eight P.M. before the three youngest Tamers went to bed, all the Tamers swapped Christmas presents. Ai and Mako were picked up by their parents and Suzie went to bed. The other Tamers waited until Suzie was definitely asleep before opening their presents.

It was a Friday afternoon; Jeri had invited Alice and Rika to spend some quality girl time together. Wearily, the two obliged. Jeri was happily moving around the Katou's kitchen. Her two visiting friends were sitting at the dinning table watching her. She suddenly stopped and clapped her hands together as she turned to her tomboyish friends.

"Valentines is coming up! We should make chocolate," the brunette exclaimed.

Alice and Rika looked at each other, slightly afraid. Alice was the first to look away. The blonde turned to the brunette and said, "Jeri, Valentine's day is over two weeks away. Do you really want to make chocolate now?" The red haired girl nodded in agreement.

Jeri giggled at her friends, "It's just a test batch, sillies. We can practice now. Besides, a girl's best friend is chocolate. We can eat what we make and then make it again right before Valentine's Day for the boys."

"Hey, Alice, who would you give the chocolate to?" Rika asked. The blonde shook her head, unsure how to respond. It took a few minutes for her to think of an answer, but when she did, she responded, "Probably just some guy friends and my dad. How about you? Will you only give it to Henry, or will you give out chocolate to other boys too? Jeri, how about you; only to Takato?"

Rika blushed, but the other two grinned. Jeri eyes almost sparkled with her romantic thoughts shinning through. Alice on the other hand, grinned from amusement. The knowledge she had of Rika's trouble also gave her enough insight to believe the Ice Queen was finally experiencing a normal teenage phenomenon.

In an attempt to keep some of her usual composure, the Ice Queen said, "Who said I was giving any chocolate to Henry at all? I'm terrible in the kitchen anyways. It would turn into a disaster."

Her two friends smiled at each other knowingly. "You're afraid of embarrassing yourself," was the fact Alice offered. Jeri giggled and offered "Or could you be afraid of his response a month later on Saint White's Day?"

Rika shook her head, denying all their accusations. "I'm not embarrassed or afraid. I just...don't believe girls should be put up to this sort of thing. Laboring over something as silly as love-no offense, Jeri-and then waiting a month for a reply that probably won't come."

Alice was the one who laughed, "Oh gawd, Rika, you really don't understand. Just admit it, you love Henry. You WANT to make chocolate for him. One month is nothing. Before you know it, he'll be responding to your Valentine gift."

Their brunette friend nodded in agreement. "Henry may not like to shot it either, but I'm almost certain that he loves you. Don't worry, you aren't likely going to get the "let's be friends" white chocolate gift."

The redhead glared at her friends. "Your superstitions are getting old. Are we making chocolates or not?"

The three girls decided to make truffles. Alice and Jeri moved with smiles on their faces while the Digimon Queen continued to scowl.

A/N: I had to throw Alice's and Rika's first conversation in there. . Sorry if there are any boys reading this, but it's one of the most common conversations girls tend to have, at least from my experience. Sad part is, girls will talk about it with guys around if they forget the guy is there...poor guys who have to hear girls gripe about pains. ...Or is it just the queer guys that have to listen to us gripe about pain? ...hmmm, maybe I'll ask my friends =P

Sorry I skipped around a lot. I just want to upload this chapter to prove I'm alive. I'll go back and edit in a few days. Again, I am sorry for the wait.


End file.
